Sealing and identifying device for display holders



(5-. A. FISHER June 20, 1933.

SEALING AND IDENTIFYING DEVICE FOR DISPLAY HOLDERS 2- Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Aug. 6, 1932 G. A'. FISHER June 20, 1933.

' SEALING AND mmnmme DEVICE FOR DISPLAY HOLDERS Filed Aug. 6, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 2 3 YWCA M a o/ e 75. FZsAeA Patented June 20, 1933 cannona. or r counties, or eannwrn Mr EVILLE, GEORGIA, ASSIGNQR I BTU-WASERVICE CGUNTY, GEORGIA, A @QIREQEATIQN enhance nun nonnrrmnc nnvrcn nonDISPLAY nonnn'ss Application filed August b, 1982. Serial No. 6%,??9.

The invention relates to a sealing and an identifying device for displayholders.

The invention is here disclosed as applied more particularly to a holderor bracket to which motor vehicle license plates are afixed and it isstrictly understood that such disclosure is merely for illustrativepurposes eradicate this practice, but so far the procedures heretoforeadopted have been quite complicated and where mechanical devices havebeen used, their success has been extremely doubtful. a

lit is one of the objects of the present in vention to retard anddiscourage the removal of motor vehicle license plates when once afixedto the holder or bracket of the motor vehicle.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide a display element orlicense plate which may be permanently assigned to the user, suchdisplay element to bear the usual or any desired insignia. and tocombine with such permanently assigned display element or license platea renewable indicia bearin element, which must be broken to be remove sothat any desired or stated intervals such indicia bearing element can bebroken and renewed, without the necessity of periodically renewing thedisplay element or license plate.

Another object of the invention is-to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is simple in construction, easy of operation and cheapto'manuiacture.

Various other objects and advantages will appear in the description ofthe invention and as disclosed in the drawings.

With reference to the drawings:

Figure 1 discloses a plan view of the in vention when installed.'

Figure 2 discloses a sectional side view of the invention.

- of the motor vehicle license is made.

Figure 3 discloses a perspective view of the various elements formingthe invention.

Figure 4 discloses a view of the license plate holder or bracket showingthe identitying indicia both on the license plate and upon the deviceforming the present invention.

Figure 5 discloses a side sectional view of a second 'form of theinvention.

Figure 6 discloses a perspective view of the various elements formingtheinvention disclosed in Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like numbersindicate like parts, the numeral 10 indicates the holder or bracket ofthe usual type used on motor vehicles to su port the license plates andis provided with apertures 11. The license plate is indicated by thenumeral 12 and when properly positioned its upper edge portion isusually contiguous with the lower edge portion of the holder.

The sealing and identifying device forming the subject matter of thepresent invention, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, comprises a bolt 13having an aperture 14 in the shank thereof, a washer 15 provided withspring arms 16 having flanges or shoulders 17, a 1218i 18, a cotter pin19 and a sealing member 'lhc sealing member 20 may be made of a varietyof frangible materials in order that it may be shattered upon proper imact.

in configuration the sealing mem er 20 is substantially round,substantially hollow, and has a closed face 21. The base 22 is open anda shoulder 23 is provided within the sealing member. The distancebetween the outer end of the base and the shoulder 23 is substantiallyequal in length to the spring arms 16. If desired, a bushing 24 may bedisposed within the bore of the member 20. The shoulders 17 of thespring arms are adapted to cooperate with and hook over the shoulder 23and irremov'ably position said sealing member.

On thei'ace of the sealing member it is proposed to inscribeidentification indicia such as for instance the symbols of the statefrom which and the year in which issuance Such l procedure willnecessitate only the issuance annually to motor vehicle owners of thesealing member eliminating thereb the issuance of the entire licenseplace w ich will have inscribed thereon only the identi ing numbers andif desired thesymbols 0 the state of issuance, as shown in Figure 4.

Assembly of the device for operation is well shown in Figures 2 and 3.The bolt is inserted into the apertures 11 of the holder or bracket andthrough the usual apertures of the license plate. The washer 15 is thenplaced in position and thenut 18 screwed on the shank'of the bolt tosecurely hold the license plate. The aperture 14- in the shank of thebolt receives the cotter pin 19,

so that the nut is locked and cannot be unscrewed orloosened. Thesealing member 20 is now snapped over the spring arms 16 of the washerand the flanges or shoulders 17 cooperate with the shoulder 23 of thesealing member, so that the latter is irremovably locked in place andcannot be removed except by the breakage thereof.

It will be noted that the outer edge of the base of the sealing memberis contiguous with the license plate when in assembled position and thepossibility of prying off the sealing member or gainin access to bendthe spring arms outof 'ng engagement with the sealing member is greatlyreduced,-

which might be the case were spaceprovided between the outer edge of thebase of the sealing member and the licenseplate for the insertlon of asharp-pointed tool.

In the-form of 'theinvention disclosed in Figures 5 and 6, there isprovided a bolt 25 having a round head 26 and a portion of the shank issquared as at 27. A washer 28 is provided with spring arms 29 havingflangesor shoulders 30. The said arms are slightly flared relative-tothe washer base and the said flanges or shoulders form slightly acute anles relative to the arms.

11 this instance there being four upstand-.

ing spring arms, a nut 31 having four sides is provided and the sealingmember 32 is substantiallysimilar as heretofore described in relation tothe sealing member 20 of the form of the invention shown in Figures2 and3, with the exce tion that in this instance the base 33 is sli t yflared and bushed as at 34.

To assemb e the various arts of the device the bolt is positioned as sown in Figure 5 and due to apart of the shank being squared it will notturn. The license plate is then properly ositioned,the washer slippedonto the bolt s ank and the nut aflixed.

The slight flaring of the spring arms of the washer allows the nut to betightly screwed against the said washer and be positioned in order thateach side of said nut is adjacent one of the spring arms.

The sealing member is easily snapped over the spring arms due to theslightly flared .base and the angular configuration of the flanges orshoulders at the ends of the said arms.

The sealin member when correctly positioned will securely held in placeand the spring arms will be pressed in substantially against the sidesof the nut, thereby locking the nut from turning and becoming loosened.

It is ossible, of course, and contemplated where esired and necessary,that more than four spring arms may be provided in which case the nutwill be shaped with sides conespondin in number to the said arms.

In or er that the device he removed, it is necessary to shatter the fran'ble sealing member by proper impact whic will expose the various partsof the device.

Obviously when the frangible sealing member has been destroyed an imortant part of the motor vehicle license has a so been destroyed, sothat the illegal substitution or transference of one license plate foranother would be easily detected, since the necessary indicia appearingon the face of the sealing member would be lacking. Furthermore, thelicense plate may be permanently issued for use from year to year, andthe renewal of the license may be readily accom lished at relativelysmall expense, b breaking oil the sealing member, with its i entifyingindicia, and substituting therefor a sealing element bearing the indiciaor other identifying characteristics of a succeeding year, without themlacessity of renewing or removing the license ate. a P There arevarious modifications and changes in the invention which arecontemplated and allowed within the scope of the appended claims.

1. In combination with a motor vehicle license plate and bolder bracket,a bolt provided with an aperture in its shank and a nut to attach thelicense plate to the holder bracket, a washer having springarms providedwith flanges positioned between the nut and the license plate, a cotterpin adapted to be inserted in said aperture, and a sealing member tocover said nut and cotter pin and provided with an opening and aninterior shoulder, said spring arms and flanges adapt.

ed to be inserted into and contact throughout their length with thewalls of the opening and said interior shoulder respectively, saidsealing member when positioned being substantially'contiguous to saidlicense plate.

2. In combination with a motor vehicle license plate and a holderbracket, a bolt and nut to attach the license plate to the holderbracket, awasher having flared arms positioned between the nut andlicense plate, a sealing member to cover said nut, said flared armsbeing provided with means to ll'lBlIlOYs Ill w an adapted to lock saidnut on said abl lock said sealing member in oslition t.

3. In combination with a motor vehicle license plate and a holderbracket, a bolt and nut to attach the license plate to the holderbracket, a washer having flared arms positioned between the nut andlicense late, a sealing member to cover said nut, sai flared armsadapted to lock the nut on the bolt and being provided with flanges toirremovably lock said sealing flanges being at substantially acuteangles to said flared arms.

4. In combination with a motor vehicle license plate and a holderbracket, a bolt and nut to attach the license plate to the holderbracket, a washer having flared arms posicover said locking means and awasher having spring-arms adapted to extend into the sealing member andcontact throughout their length with the walls of the opening, said armshavingfianges to engage the interior shoulder of the sealing member, thedistance between the inner ed e of the sealing member and the interior soulder being substan- .an interior walls of sa1d opening, and a washercarried I tially equal to the length of the spring arms of the washer toinsure close engagement.

6. In combination with a displai element and a holder therefor, means toloc the disla element to the holder, a substantially ol ow frangiblesealing member having a base portion provided with an opening and aninterior s oulder, a bushin walls of said opening and said s oulder andmeans carried said locking means adapted to en age sai bushing toirremovably lock said sea ing member in osition. 7. In combination wit adispla element and a holder therefor, means to Ice the display elementto the holder, a substantially ollow frangible sealing member having abase portion provided with an opening and s oulder, a bushing lining theby said locking means and provided with sprin arms en ing said bushingand s 0111 er respectlve y to irremovably look I said sealing member inposition.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE A. FISHER.

member in position, said a substantially lining thev

